Cheapest way to fill a garden?

Hello. I've just moved into a rented house that I'll be living in for two years. The garden is sparse to put it lightly. I want to put some plants in because I love gardening and because I want it to look nice. However, I'm quite new to gardening (only been doing it a few years) and don't really know the best way to fill it on a budget (I don't want to spend too much money on a garden I'm only going to be in for two years).

I have brought some plants with me from my old garden that I am going to split but I'm not sure how suitable they are going to be because although the rear garden is south facing it gets a lot of shade from very tall trees. The front garden is north facing so I was thinking about putting lots of juicy hostas in, does anyone know if you can get these in plugs or seeds?

If you are an RHS member, you could check out the seed distribution list, there's loads of seeds etc to choose from and you only pay £10 for the administration. You'd need to be quick tho' as most people have probably placed their orders and its on a first come first served basis. Failing that, if you are friendly with the neighbours they might supply you with some cuttings/seeds of plants they have, which would presumably be suitable as they are in the same location as you.

It is possible to grow hostas from seed, although you're very unlikely to get any variegated ones that way. They take quite a while to get big though, so they won't fill your garden in two years. Buying big plants and splitting them would probably give better and quicker results.

Growing annuals from seed is quick and cheap. One pack of mixed annuals could fill a smallish back garden. (You can get a good variety of annuals from the RHS scheme Susiq mentioned, or any garden centre or seed merchant) You could also try growing perrennials from seed. There are quite a few 'designed' to flower the first year. The best of them could go with you when you move.

You could also try quick growing shrubs. Often buddleja and Lavatera are sold very cheaply. Even the smallest, scruffiest specimen will grow huge and flower well the first year. They're even cheaper if you can get cuttings.

not sure how big the garden is but i managed to fill 2 borders of my front garden for about 3 quid by using mixed annual cottage garden seed, cornflower, stocks, etc on 1 side and rudebeckia from free seed from a magazine on the other.

I like the flowers from seed idea and did that myself several years ago - I bought three tubs of seed from B&Q, a white, a yellow and a blue collection, and sprinkled them about over newly dug soil in spring, along with a packet of wildflower seeds. The results were amazing - the plants grew very quickly and we had such a colourful garden it made you wince.

If your garden is shady, there may well be seed collections available that would be suitable - lots of seed companies are trying to cater for all conditions these days. Not sure about the hostas - for me, hostas = slug food.

i have to agree with miranda there, im sure hostas are lovely plants just not for me and if your only going to be in the property for about 2 years quick flowering results would be ideal. for moist shade the likes of impatiens, polyanthus and violas would be ideal.

Have a look at the 'Freecycle' website and see if there is a group in
your area. People advertise anything and everything that they don't need anymore, or ask for things. I have given away a lot of plants through this, and you might be able to get tools etc as well.

This
way of collecting plants has several advantages - the plant will be
something that grows well in your area, something that is vigorous
enough that it can be split (so should bulk up quickly) and, best of all, you can meet some new
gardening friends. My only warning is that something that 'grows well'
in one person's garden can become a thug in another's!

Hi Stargazer, Susan B is correct about the Freecycle(R) groups. Their main aim is to help reduce the amount of 'waste' that ends up in Land Fill sites. And as Susan has said, you can offer any items that you would normally take to the tip, there is always someone that will take it off your hands! Plus you can ask for items, all be it, you shouldn't really ask for extravagant items, but that is up to the Group Owners/Moderators.

As you are based in Durham, why not join the Durham Group, the group Owner is Katherine Collyer, and she is a very helpful person, and would welcome you with open arms. (tell her I sent you)

As the Group Owner/Lead Moderator of the South Shields Freecycle(R) Group, I know that a lot of gardening equipment, and plants are offered and wanted, on a daily basis, as Susan has pointed out.

So get your self along to the Durham Group and join, after all, it's Free, Helpful, and cut's down on Pollution at the same time.

yep, for the last month I posted a huge number of plants, many well established specimen plants, that I don't need anymore because I wanted the space for more veg. All the lucky person have to do is dig them up. it was a win win situation.

I simply couldn't cope with the interest but it made lots of people happy!